Hinging device of a leaf on its frame

ABSTRACT

1,205,498. Releasable hinge; multiple fastenings. A. MARGUELISCH. 23 Jan., 1968 [28 Jan., 1967], No. 3475/.68. Headings E2A and E2F. A releasable hinge, permitting hinging in either one of two mutually perpendicular directions, comprises a pin 5, which may have a ball head 4, retained in a socket 6 by a rotatable plate 9.. When the plate is rotated so that a recess 10 is above the socket, the ball escapes from the socket thus breaking the hinge connection. Four such hinges may be used to pivot a window 1, 2, along any of its sides. The rotatable plates 9 are operated simultaneously by a handle 14, a pinion 13 and a chain 12, and are arranged so that two adjacent plates have their recesses 10 above the socket 6 thus allowing the balls to escape, while the other two plates maintain their hinge connection. A window may also be pivoted using 2 such devices and a conventional universal joint.

1970 A. MARGUELISCH 3,488,795

HINGING DEVICE OF A LEAF ON ITS FRAME Filed Jan. 24, 1968 FIG. 2

ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,488,795 HINGING DEVICE OF A LEAF ON ITS FRAME Arthur Margueliscli, 1, Chemin de la Milice, Plan-les-Ouates, Geneva, Switzerland Filed Jan. 24, 1968, Ser. No. 700,113 Claims priority, application Switzerland, Jan. 28, 1967, 1,27 1/ 67 Int. Cl. E05d 15/50 US. Cl. 16-147 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A hinging device of a leaf on its frame, permitting the rotation of the leaf around at least two different axes, with at least two of its hinging means being situated each at a corner of the leaf and frame, each hinging means comprising a female element carried by one of the two frame and leaf elements, a male element carried by the other of the elements and being engaged in the female element in such manner as to be rotatable in the female element around two different axes and parallel to the plane of the device, with the female element being arranged in such a way as to surround the male element laterally, at least partially, while allowing movement thereof freely in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the device, wherein each hinging means additionally includes a movable holding member with a capacity for occupying at least a position in which it closes the female element and prevents the male element from escaping therefrom, and at least a position in which it uncovers the female element for the release of the male element.

The present invention relates to a hinging device of a leaf on its frame, allowing to rotate the leaf around at least two different axes.

Some devices of this type are known, in which the leaf is hinged on a stationary frame by means of several hinges, means being provided for permitting to slip away the pins of a pair of hinges or of another, in order to keep the articulation on only one of the said pairs, arranged either vertically or horizontally, according as the leaf has to be opened around a vertical axis or on the contrary to be rocked around a horizontal axis coinciding with its upper edge or with its lower edge.

One of the drawbacks of such arrangements lies in the fact that the hinging device of the leaf on its stationary frame has to comprise as many pairs of hinges as there are different axes around which the leaf has to be rotated. This renders the whole unaesthetic and complicates the control device acting on the pins of the hinges for bringing them into their working position or into their eclipsed position.

The object of the present invention is to remove these drawbacks.

The device according to the invention is characterized by the fact that it comprises at least two hinging means situated each at a corner of the said leaf, each of these hinging means comprising a female element carried by one of the two elements (stationary frame and leaf), a male element carried by one of the two elements (leaf and stationary frame) engaged into the said female element, so as to be able to rotate in this latter around two different axes, parallel to the plane of the device, the said female element being arranged in such a way as to be able to surround the male element laterally, at least partially, while letting it free to move in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the device, each hinging means comprising moreover a movable holding member, able to occupy at least a position in which it closes the female element, preventing the male element from escaping thereout, and

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at least a position in which it uncovers the female element, thus releasing the male element.

The drawing shows, by way of example, one embodiment of the object of the invention.

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a window, the leaf of which is hinged on the frame by means of the device according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a detail, at an enlarged scale, some portions being cut away, and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of a detail, according to line III-III of FIG. 1, also at an enlarged scale.

The window represented comprises a leaf, constituted by a metallic movable frame 1 carrying a pane 2, mounted on a stationary metallic frame 3.

The hinging of the leaf on the stationary frame 3 comprises four hinging means arranged at the four corners of the frame and of the leaf, and comprising each a spherical ball 4, constituting the male element of the device, secured to the frame 1 of the leaf by a connecting rod 5, and a member 6, sleeve shaped, constituting the female element of the device, secured to the frame 3.

Each member 6 is provided with a notch 7 permitting the passage of a rod 5 when the corresponding ball 4 is located in the female element. This female element surrounds then the ball 4 laterally while letting it to move freely frontwards, that is to say in the direction opposite to the frame.

Each hinging means comprises moreover a shaft 8 rotatably mounted on the stationary frame 3, which it traverses, at the immediate vicinity of the corresponding member 6. Each shaft 8 carries, at its extremity situated on the front face of the frame 3, a disc 9 extending above the member 6 and extending substantially up to the vicinity of the equator of the ball 4 when this latter is located in the number 6. The disc 9 is provided with two notches 10, opening on its periphery, arranged at one with respect to another, and which, when they are situated opposite the element 6, permit the passage of the ball 4 which can thus engage the member 6 and come out therefrom.

Each shaft 8 carries a pinion 11, which is rigid therewith, on which passes an endless chain 12 passing moreover on a pinion 13 rotatably mounted on the stationary frame 3, and which is rigid with a control handle 14.

Owing to this arrangement, the four shafts 8 are rigid one with another, when rotated, and are controlled simultaneously by the handle 14. Their angular relative position is so determined that, when they occupy four successive positions, at an angle of 90 from each other, in each of these positions two adjacent discs have one of their notches situated opposite the corresponding female element 6, thus making free two adjacent balls 4. Thus, to these four angular positions of the shafts 8 and of the discs 9 correspond four possibilities of rotation of the leaf along four axes corresponding respectively to its four sides.

It is to be noted that between each of the above mentioned four opening positions, the discs 9 pass by an intermediary position in which either their portion which is without notches, or the portion 9a situated between two adjacent notches is situated opposite the corresponding member 6. Thus, in each of these intermediary positions of the discs, the leaf is held in its closed position. It will be advantageous to provide an elastic device, for instance a ball device, acting on the control mechanism, for instance on the axis of the pinion 13, for determining the several opening and closing positions and for insuring their stability.

It is to be noted that it will be advantageous to provide a safety device preventing an untime operation of the hinging device when the leaf is open, so as to prevent the leaf being accidentally completely released. Such a safety device will consist, in the case, for instance, where the leaf has to be hung only around three axes, and not four, to place the control pinion 13 on the side along which the leaf is not to be hung and to mount the control handle on the leaf, with a coupling between these two elements. Consequently, the hinging means will be able to be operated only when the leaf occupies its closing position.

As a modification, the discs 9 could be of a larger diameter and cover the total surface of the female elements 6. In this case, they have to be provided with radial notches permitting the passage of the rod 5 during the pivotal movement of the leaf along axes perpendicular to the direction of the rods. This arrangement will have the advantage to permit a rocking movement of the leaf, along such an axis, of an amplitude higher than this one of the movement permitted in the case of the embodiment as represented.

In a simplified embodiment of the invention, it will be possible to replace the balls 4 merely by pins, the extremity of which will be rounded, in the shape of a spherical head, while providing however some play between these pins and the female elements of the hinging means.

It is to be noted that, in the case where the leaf would have to be hung only along two perpendicular axes, the device could comprise only two hinging means as disclosed, situated at two opposed corners of the leaf, the hinging being insured, at a third corner, by a conventional universal joint, for instance by a ball and socket joint.

Eventually, the male elements, such as the balls 4, could be carried by the stationary frame, the female elements, such as the elements 6, being then carried by the leaf on which the axes 8 carrying the discs 9 would then also be rotatably mounted.

Finally, it is to be noted that the leaf could be constituted by any hung element, and not only by a door or by a window, for instance by the tipper body of a truck.

What I claim is:

1. In a hinging device of a leaf on its frame permitting rotation of the leaf around at least two different axes, the combination of, at least two hinging means situated each at a corner of the leaf and frame, each hinging means comprising a female element carried by one of the frame and leaf, a male element carried by the other of the leaf and frame and engaged in the female element for rotation therein around two different axes parallel to the main plane of the hinging device, the female element being arranged at least partially to surround the male element laterally while allowing freedom of movement of the male member in the direction perpendicular to the main plane, each hinging means including a movable holding member for occupying at least a position of closing the female element and preventing the male element from escaping therefrom and for occupying at least a position of uncovering the female element for releasing the male element, the female element including a sleeve shaped member provided with a notch through which passes a connecting member for connecting the male element to that male or female element which carries the leaf or frame.

2. In a hinging device as claimed in claim 1, discs rotatably mounted on the frame or leaf carrying the female element and extending each above one of the female elements, the discs constituting the holding members and being each provided with at least one notch for the passage of the male element when situated opposite the female element.

3. In a hinging device as claimed in claim 1, discs rotatably mounted on the frame or leaf carrying the female element and extending each above one of the female elements, the discs constituting the holding members and being each provided with at least one notch for the passage of the male element when it is situated opposite the female element, a pinion rigid with the disc of each of the hinging means, an endless chain passing on the pinions, and a control device acting on the chain and permitting the simultaneous rotation of the whole disc.

4. In a hinging device as claimed in claim 1, in which the leaf can rotate on its frame around at least two different axes, and which comprises to this effect at least four hinging means, discs rotatably mounted on the frame or leaf carrying the female element and extending each above one of these female elements, the discs constituting the holding members and being each provided with at least one notch for the passage of the male element when it is situated opposite the female element, a pinion rigid with the disc of each of the hinging means, an endless chain passing on the pinions, a control device acting on the chain permitting the simultaneous rotation of the whole disc, the disc of each hinging means being provided with at least two notches, the relative position of these notches on each disc and the relative angular position of the discs with respect to each other being such that by a rotation of the whole discs the device may be brought successively in its position of hinging of the leaf around each of the three axes, as well as into a locking position of the leaf in which the four female elements are closed by the discs.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENT! 3,344,465 10/1967 Neumeister 16147 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner D. L. TROUTMAN, Assistant Examiner 

